Apparatus for destroying gases.



Patented May 6, 1902.

J. EDMUNDS. APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING GASES.

(Application filed Jan. 7, 1901.)

(No modem llll HI] NlTE STATES "ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDMUNDS, OF lVALTI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING GASES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,296, dated May 6, 190 Application filed January 7, 1901- Serial No. 42,311. (No model.)

To [I/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that LJ OHN EDMUNDS, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Destroying Gases, of which the following description,in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

The object of my inventionis to provide a novel apparatus for consuming or destroying gases, smoke, and other products of combustion issuing from a furnace; and the invention relates particularly to a device to be used on steam-driven vehicles, such as locomotives or automobiles, for getting rid of the smoke nuisance and in addition thereto the exhauststeam, which is usually exhausted into the smoke-fine.

The invention comprises a vacuum-chamber which is partially filled with water and a steam-ejector for creating and preserving a vacuum or partial vacuum in said chamber, combined with an inlet-pipe connected to the smoke-flue of the furnace and havingits free end entering the chamber and extending below the surface of the water. When a vacuum or partial vacuum is created in the vacuu mchamber, the products of combustion and the exhaust-steam will be drawn from the funnace through the inlet-pipe into the body of water,where the steam will be condensed and the gases or smoke will be absorbed by the water. WVhen applied to a locomotive as a smoke-consumer, the smoke-stack has anextension which is led into the vacuum-chamber, the end of the said extension projecting a suitable distance below the surface of the water in said vacuum-chamber. I have found from experiments that a sufficient vacuum may be created in the vacuum-chamber to produce a strong forced'draft up the smokepipe, and the device will therefore not only act as a smoke-consumer, but also as a means forinducing a draftin the furnace. By taking the smoke and products of combustion through the water in the vacuum-chamber not only are the gases absorbed by the water, but all cinders and unburned matter are collected therein, thus providing means for effectively disposing of the smoke nuisance incident to railway travel. Furthermore, since the steam from the cylinders is exhausted into the smoke-stack, the said exhaust-steam will be taken into the'vacuum-chamber and condensed,whereby the loud p ufling noise caused by the escaping of the exhaust-steam under pressure is eliminated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the device applied to a locomotive. Fig. 2 is a detail of one form of exhausting apparatus.

The vacuum-chamber is designated generally-by 3, and it may be of any suitable shape and material, provided that it is made airtight, said chamber being partially filled with water, as shown in Fig. 1. When used in connection with a locomotive, as shown in Fig. 1, I prefer to support the vacuum-chamber upon a suitable platform 2%, built upon the front of the engine.

The pipe which conducts the gases and steam which are to be disposed of into the vacuum-chamber is designated by 7, and the end of this pipe extends into the chamber and below the surface of the water therein, as shown in the drawings. In Fig. 1 the inletpipe is connected to the smoke-stack 17 of the engine in some suitable way, and preferablyI provide said smoke-stack with the damper above the opening into the pipe 7, whereby all the smoke and exhaust-steam may be directed into the pipe 7.

The exhaust apparatus that I prefer to employ to create a vacuum or partial vacuum in the vacuum-chamber is in the nature of a steam-siphon or steam-ejector and is shown in detail in Fig. 2. It comprises'the steaminlet pipe 18, which is connected to the boiler and has therein a suitable valve mechanism adapted to be operated from the cab. The end of the pipe enters the suction-chamber 20' and terminates in a nozzle 19, which is in alinement with the exhaust-pipe 22 from said chamber 20. The chamber 20 is connected by a pipe 21 with the vacuum-chamber 3. The exhaust-pipe 22 may either'lead to the smoke-stack direct or to the fire-box, as desired, as will be presently described.

WVith the device constructed as described the force of the live steam issuing from the nozzle 19 into the exhaust-pipe 22 will create a vacuum in the chamber 20 and will suck or draw the air from the vacuum chamber chamber.

a vacuum in the chamber 3 will operate to draw the smoke and other products of combustion, together with the exhaust-steam, through the inlet-pipe 7 and through the body of water in the said chamber, and as the, smoke or other products of combustion pass through the water the gases are absorbed thereby, while the cinders and heavy unburned matter collect in the bottom of the v The exhaust-steam which is mingled with the products of combustion as it passes through the body of water is condensed. It is possible to create a suliicient vacuum in thevacuum-chamber to cause a strong induced draft through the inlet-pipe 17. As illustrated, the lower end of the inlet-pipe 7 is turnedslightly to the rear, as at 25, whereby the solid matter is given abackward direction as it enters the water and accumulates at the back end of the tank 3, where it may be readily removed through the blow-outpipe 26, which is controlled by any usual valve 27, the said valve being preferably controlled from the cab by any suitable lever mechanism.

The water is fed to the tank by any suitable feed-pipe 28, which is controlled by suitable valve mechanism.

As seen in Fig. 1, I have shown two methods of getting rid of the steam which passes through the pipe 18', the pipe 22 leading to either pipe 29, which conducts the steam back to the fire-box of the engine, or feeding into the pipe 30, which is taken into the vacuumchamber and through the body of the water therein in coils 31, the said pipe after leavprovide suitable drip-pipes 35, which are consmoke-stack, as usual in locomotives, is conducted through the inlet-pipe 7 with. the

smoke and in passing through the water is condensed. The loud. puffing noise, therefore,

caused by the exhausting of the steam into the smoke-stack is entirely done a'way with.

WVhile in Fig. 1 I have illustrated my invention as applied to one type of steam-driven vehicles-to wit. a locomotive-yet it is obvif ous that the invention is not limited to locomotives, but may be used with any steamdriven vehicle. \Vhen used on steam-driven automobiles, the steam-exhaust from the cylinders may be taken into the exhaust-pipe 7 and led into the vacuum-chamber in the same manner as is illustrated in the drawing shown in Fig. 1.

This device is of special value when applied to steam-driven automobiles, for by means thereof the annoyance caused by the exhausting of the steam into the open air may be entirely avoided, the steam being condensed in the vacuum-chamber and the device acting as a muffier. Furthermore, when applied to steam-automobiles the water in the vacuumchamber 3 maybe fed back to the boiler, and since the admitting ofthe exhaust-steam into the water would heat the same to a considerable degree my device would operate not only as would a muffler for the exhaust-steam, but as a means for heating the water which is fed to the boiler.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the construction of the device without departing in any way from the spirit of my invention and also that my invention is not necessarily limited in its use to the consuming or destroying of smoke or products of combustion, but that the invention may be applied to various machines from which dust or other impurities arisesuch as cloth-nap ping machines, &c.and that by boxing in machines of this character from which a dust or other waste impure matter is generated and extending a pipe which is connected to said boxing into the vacuum-chamber below the surface of the water and by creating a vacuum in said vacuum chamber by the means herein described the dust or other impure matter will be drawn into the vacuumchamber and be collected.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a closed chamber partially filled with water, a pipe to receive the products of combustion and exhaust-steam from an engine, said pipe extending into theclosed chamber below the surface of the water, a steam-ejector for exhausting the air from the chamber, the exhaust-pipefrom the ejector passing through the water in the closed chamber.

2. In a steam-engine, a vacuum-chamber partially filled with water, a pipe to receive the products of combustion and exhauststeam from the engine, said pipe extending into the vacuum-chamber and below the surface of the water, a steam-ejector for exhausting the air from the vacuum-chamber, the exhaust-pipe of said ejector being branched and one branch leading through the waterin to condense the steam in the exhaust-pipe the closed chamber and the other branch passfrom the ejector.

ing back to the combustion-chamber of the In testimony whereof I have signed my furnace, and valves to control said pipes. name to this specification in the presence of 5 3. In apparatus of the class described, a two subscribing witnesses.

closed chamber partially filled with water, a V

pipe to receive waste product, said pipe ex- JOHN D tending into the closed chamber below the Witnesses:

surface of the water, a steam-ejector for eX- GEO. V. GREGORY,

IO hausting the air from the chamber, and means LOUIS C. SMITH. 

